Treatment of filaments, threads, yarns, and the like



June 25, 1935 TREATMENT OF mam-rs, rmman YARNS, llamldllaximilianliibbertandltobertl'ierce Roberts, Spondon,'near Derby, England, assignors to Celaneae Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Application February as, 1933, Serial .No. 658,140. In Greatllritain March This invention relates to processes for the treatment of textile filaments, threads, yarns and the like, and particularly to. processes for lubrication and similar treatments. I

In the lubrication and similar treatments of textile filaments and the like, particularly those containing cellulose acetate or other organic derivatives of cellulose, difiiculties have been encountered when the usual agents, particularly unsaturated fats and oils-such as olive oil, are employed, in that the resulting yarns, especially if a considerable time elapses between their lubrication and further treatment, may exhibit uneven properties when subjected to processes of delustring or dyeing. The use of saturated fats, on the other hand, is Subject to the disadvantage that they are in general too hard to besatisfactorily applied. 7 7

We have now found that hydrogenated 1msaturated oils and fats are very suitable for the treatment 'of textile materials, and that when they are employed the difliculties in respect of subsequent delustring or dyeing may be greatly reduced and even entirely. While it is not essential that they should be completely hydrogenated, it appears advantageous that most of the unsaturated groups which they contain should be reduced. Thus, hydrogenated oils or fats having an iodine value of 5-6, and preferably less, e. g. 1-3, may be applied for the purposes of the present invention. Again, it is desirable that the oils or fats employed should contain a relatively high proportion of the medium fatty acids, e. g. lauric and myristic acids, preferably in the form of their esters, and they may also have a high Reichert-Meisal value.

The present invention, therefore, comprises the treatment of texfile materials, e. g. filaments and yarns, with hydrogenated unsaturated fats and oils. The quantity employed will, of course, depend upon the particular object in view, but it may be mentioned that when a lubricating treatment is to be applied, amounts of up to 5%, and preferably 1-3%, on the weight of the material have been foimd very suitable, while in the case of a sizing operation larger proportions are usually necessary.

As stated above, theoils and fats employed are those obtained by the partial or complete byhave preferably a low iodine value, ahigh content of the medium fatty acids and a high Reichert-llleisal value. Hydrogenated oils obtained by treatment of substances of the cocoanut oil group, e. g. palm kernel oil and cocoanut oil, are

drogenation of unsaturated oils and fats, and

'ticizers and swelling agents and hygroscopic solizcmm. (01.28-1) especially valuable in this connection, and the invention will therefore be described with particular reference to the use of hydrogenated cocoanut oil, though of course it is by no means limited thereto.

The processes according to the present invention may be applied to the filaments and the like by any suitable method. Thus the materials may be treated during their passage from bobbins, cops, beams, tubes, hanl-rlng frames, rollers or the like to any suitable receiving device, or in the case of artificial materials, for example filaments having a basis of cellulose acetate, treatment with the oil may be continuous with the production of the materials. In this latter case the artificial filaments or yarn may be passed from a wet or dry spinning apparatus to the means for applying the oil and may then be taken upon spools, bobbins or other receiving devices. A further method of applying the oil comprises treating the materials in any suitable manner while they are in warp formation.

The hydrogenated cocoanut oil may be applied to the materials in either a molten or partially molten state, or it may be employed in solution in a suitable solvent or as an emulsion. Thus the textile material may be caused to pass in contact-with a rotating roller which is partially immersed in a bath containing the oil, or .with pads or wicks supplied with the oil. Alternatively, the materials may be passed through a bath containing the oil, or it may be applied to them by means of a spraying mechanism. Further, if desired, the materials may be treated by immersion in baths containing or consisting of the oil, for example, when wound on bobbins or other carrying devices. 7

When the cocoanut oil is applied as a. solution or emulsion, it. is of course desirable that the liquid medium employed should not have any pronounced solvent action or other detrimental effect upon the material being treated.

.The treatment may be carried out atnormal or elevated temperatures.

While the invention has been described in par-' ticular connection'with lubrication processes, yet it may also be applied to" other operations, e. g. sizing, and, if desired, the application of the lubricant may be combined with the application of other treating agents, such as for example plasids, as described in U. S. application S. No. 565,924

filed 29th September, 1931 and in British specification No. 351,084.

While the process of the present invention is the two following examples are given by way of illustration, and relate to the lubrication or sizing of cellulose acetate threads or the like by means of hydrogenated cocoanut oil.

.Emmple 1 Artificial yarn of cellulose acetate is caused to travel across and in contact with the periphery of a rotatably mounted wheel or roller dipping into a trough containing hydrogenated cocoanut oil having the followingcharacteristicsz- I f" Melting point ,A 3040' 0. Acid value (asioleic acid) Up to0.4% Saponificat-ion value 240-250 Iodine value About 1.0

The oil in' thsm'ollghls maintained in the necessary liquid sta by steam heating means. Gonveniently the y contacting with the periphery of the supply wheel extends in the general direction of the axis of rotation thereof, as in the arrangement described and shown in U. S. application S. No. 370,763flled lithdune, 1929. In such an arrangement the rated supply of oil to the yarn may be varied, for example, by varying rotational speed oi the wheel, the diameter thereof or the eifective width of its. periphery by substituting a further wheel having a bevelled edge or an edge of different bevel. The amount of oil so applied to theyarnmay thus be varied-up to a maximum of approximately 5% of'the weight of the yarn.

Emmple 2 In order to apply relatively large quantities-oi a flexible size preparatory to textile operations, hydrogenated cocoanut oil having characteristics correspondingtothatusedinE-xample 1 aboveis applied during the preliminary reeling orwarpingoftheyambymeansofaslowlyrotating padded roller dipping into atrough whichcontainstheoilandisheatedbysteamorbyelec trical means. By applying the lubricantto the yaminthiswamquantitiesofS-lfi'ltorovermay be appliedtothe yarn.

It is found that the treated with hydrogenated oils and fats according to the present invention exhibit very desirable properties, particularly as regards uniformityintheirreactiontotbeingdelustrlng and like operations as between portions of yarn which have occupied external positions on bobbins, cheeses and like storing means, and portions which have occupied inner and more protected positions during storage.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1'. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarns and the like, comprising applying thereto an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating an unsaturated fat or fatty oil.

2. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarns and-the like of an organic derivative of cellulose, comprising applying thereto an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating an unsaturated fat v or fatty oil.

3. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarns and the like of cellulose acetate, comprising applying thereto an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating anrunsaturated fat or fatty oil.

4. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarns and the like of an organic derivative of cellulose, comprising applying thereto an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating an oil of the cocoanut oil group.

5. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarns and'th'e like of cellulose acetate, comprislng applying thereto an oil or fat obtained by hydroge'nating cocoanut oil.

6. Method of treating textile filaments. threads, yarns and the like of an organic derivative of cellulose, comprising applying thereto an oil orfat obtained by hydrogenating an unsaturated fat or fatty oil until its iodine value is less than 6.

7. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarnsand the like of cellulose acetate, comprisinglapplying thereto an' oil or fat obtained by hydrogenatlng an unsaturated fat or fatty oil until its iodine value is less than 6.

8. Method of treating textile filaments, threads, yarns and the like of an organic derivative of cellulom, comprising applying thereto a dispersion of an-oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating anunsaturated fat or fatty oil.

9.- Method of treating textile filaments, threads,

yarns; and the like of anorganic derivative of ce11ulose,;comprising applying to such products when-arranged in the form of a warp sheet an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating an unsaturated fat or fatty oil.

, 1i);v Filaments, threads, yarns and the like, having applied-thereto an oil or fat obtained by hyan unsaturated fat or fatty oil.

11 Filaments, threads, yarns and the like of anorganic derivative of cellulose, having applied an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenating an pilot the cocoanut oil group.

lfiqillanientathreads, yarns and the like of cellulose acetate, having applied thereto an oil or fat obtained by hydrogenatlng cocoanut oil. HAROLDMAXDAILIANHIBBERT.

ROBERT PIERCE ROBER'IS. 

